draft was carefully rewritten by Mr. Lincoln and included four valuable changes suggested by Dr. Gurley.

Friday, July 11th, the President invited Vice-President Hamlin to spend a night with him at the Soldiers' Home for a conference, as he said, “about an important matter." After dinner the President said, "Hamlin, you have often urged me to issue an Emancipation Proclamation, and as I have decided to do so, I have asked you to be the first one to see the document and to confer with me about it." This of course refers to the copy of the proclamation the President prepared after his consultation with Dr. Gurley. Mr. Hamlin heartily approved of the proposition and suggested three changes in the phraseology, two of which Mr. Lincoln accepted. After that evening, as far as known, the proclamation was not again seen save by the President, until it was presented to the Cabinet for their consideration.

Saturday, July 12th, President Lincoln held the repeatedly mentioned conference with the Border States representatives. During that conference he made no reference to the forthcoming announcement of emancipation, but very strongly urged the approval of his compensation policy in view of the manifest trend of affairs in regard to slavery.

Sunday, July 13th, while on the way to attend the funeral of Secretary Stanton's child, President Lincoln informed Secretaries Seward and Welles that he intended to issue an Emancipation Proclamation. Upon no previous occasion had Mr. Lincoln intimated to any member of his Cabinet that he was contemplating any such action. Secretary Welles, in his diary, in a somewhat extended account of the affair, says: "It was a new departure for the President, for until this time in all our previous interviews, whenever the question of emancipation or the mitigation of slavery had been in any way alluded to he had been prompt and emphatic in denouncing any interference by the General Government with the subject."

8

8 Diary of Gideon Welles, Vol. II., pp. 70-71.

Mr. Lincoln was greatly depressed while making this disclosure and explaining the processes by which he had reached the conclusion to take this important step. He had come in from the Soldiers' Home to attend the funeral and had invited the two secretaries to accompany him. His long-time, devoted friend, Judge Henry C. Whitney, was in the entrance-hall of the White House when the President came down the stairs to take the carriage standing at the door. Judge Whitney states that Seward, whom he could see sitting in the carriage, "looked at peace with himself and all mankind . . . and appeared perfectly easy and contented." Of Mr. Lincoln's appearance Judge Whitney says: "Oh! how haggard and dejected he looked. I had not seen him for nine months and the change was frightful to behold. . . . . Lincoln spoke to me and shook hands quite mechanically-he was absentminded, he did not know me at all-he was oblivious of my presence or of any one's presence. . . . I knew from the disaster painted on Lincoln's face that some bad news was in the air." "

The "bad news" that chiselled agitation on the kindly face of Mr. Lincoln that day was not the destructive raids General Morgan was then making in Kentucky and adjoining states. Disturbing as these were, something far worse was on that 13th of July crushing the heart of the great and good Chief Magistrate. On the preceding day he had failed in his effort by compensation to save the South from the financial ruin of the policy he had decided to pursue for the saving of the nation. It was that failure and its far-reaching consequences, as foreseen by him, that shrouded his soul in gloom on that memorable Sabbath morning.

President Lincoln's statement to Mr. Hamlin on the preceding Friday evening and his statement to Seward and Welles on that Sunday morning, when fully understood, are in full accord with his statements to Mr. Carpenter, the artist, that the proclamation was prepared without consultation with On the Circuit with Lincoln, p. 566.

any member of his Cabinet, for it was fully prepared before that conference with Seward and Welles.

July 14th President Lincoln sent to Congress a message asking for the enactment of a law providing for financial compensation to states that would adopt gradual emancipation.

July 22nd the Emancipation Proclamation was for the first time presented to the Cabinet. All the members of that body were present, and after extended discussion, President Lincoln, upon the suggestion of Secretary Seward, withdrew the document to be again presented when conditions in the field were more favorable to the Union cause. During the weeks that followed the proposition was held in absolute confidence by every member of the Cabinet. It was the year for the election of members of Congress, and political campaigns were being prosecuted during those weeks with very great vigor. I was every day, at that time, engaged in political work and was closely associated with leaders of the Union party, and not one of my associates or acquaintances had the slightest intimation that the President had any thought of issuing an Emancipation Proclamation. Important as was the measure and widespread and deep as was public interest in the subject, there was no "leak" from any member of the President's official family, nor from any one who had been consulted relative to the matter.

It is interesting to think of that proclamation being held by President Lincoln during those weeks of battles at the front and struggles in the political arena, in constant readiness to be thrown with resistless force at the most vulnerable point of the Rebellion when the favorable moment should arrive. In his history of those weeks in July and August, given Mr. Carpenter, the artist, President Lincoln says: "I put the draft of the Proclamation aside, as you do your sketch for a picture, waiting for a victory. From time to time I added or changed a line, touching it up here and there, anxiously awaiting the progress of events."

The proclamation that had been considered by the Cabinet

PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND HIS CABINET

From the famous painting made at the White House by F. B. Carpenter.